Pile fabrics and method of pile fabric treatment



Dec- ,10, 1957 A. BARTovlcs ETAL 2,815,558

PILE FABRICS ANDMETx-Ion 0R PILE FABRIC TREATMENT Filed oct. 21, 1954 2sheets-sheet 1 INVENTORS 948:27- Eger-owes .5 /EG-F/2-1Eo M. K1A/zweefMALL-FEM A TTOENEY PILE FABRICS AND METHOD 0F PILE FABRIC TREATMENTFiled oct. l21, 1954 Dec. l0, l1957 A. BARTovlcs ET AL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2A INVENTORS Ausser' Bmerowcs life-F2150 M. ld/N2 /Msee M11-Z4, #Mr-TM Ar Tae/Vey! United States Patent O PILE FABRICS AND METHOD OF PILE FABRICTREATMENT Application October 21, 1954, Serial No. 463,724

13 Claims. (Cl. 28-72) This invention relates yto improvements in pilefabrics and method ofplle fabric treatment.

More particularly stated, the invention relates to the provision of animproved pile for pile fabrics not only because ofthe .selection anddispersion throughout the pile of the fabric of synthetic fibers havingdiffering reaction to special heat or deorientation treatments after thefabric has been knitted or woven, but also because of the selection anddispersion through the pile of the fabric of fibers of differing denierand length.

The object of the invention is to provide a pile fabric having novelcharacteristics as to appearance, wearing quality, and density.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a pile for a pilefabric wherein a pattern may be worked out in a predetermined successionof pile fibers having differing deniers, differing lengths, dieringshrinkage characteristics, or differing response to treatment afterfabrication.

One of the additional features of the pile fabric product of theinvention is the remarkable density of the portion of the pile closestto the base fabric, and in those products where such density in thesurface of the pile is desirable it is practicable to shear the pile soas to expose a novel, densely interengaged, fibre zone unmatched by anynatural fur.

In the drawings:

Fig. l shows a section through the new pile fabric, the various long andshort pile fibers and large diameter and small diameter pile fibersbeing shown in moderately or extremely shrunk or Ideoriented condition.

`Fig. 2 is La section. similar to that shown in Fig. l, but showing thepile fibers in the physical condition whichthey exhibit prior todeorientation.

3 shows a section through a pile fabric which has been deoriented and inwhich a pattern of short and long fibers has provided a top surfaceexhibiting ridges or wales.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of apiece of yard goods made in accord with thedisclosure in Fig. 3, and exhibiting the surface pattern thereof.

Fig. 5 isa diagrammatic view of the successive stages of manufacture ofpile fabric in accord with this invennon.

Fig. 6 shows dilagrammatically a textile or rug type pile fabric as itis taken from the machines and sheared along a median line between thespaced textile base fabrics.

Synthetic fibers used in accord with this invention are of the typewhich are oriented at the time of their manufacture. For instance, ifproduced by extrusion processes they are elongated and set in suchmolecular arrangement that subsequent treatment such as that hereinaf'erdescribed' will deorient them and cause them to shrink, curl or kink toa remarkable degree. Such fibers include those which are sold under suchdesignations as nylon, Dacron, Orlon, Acrilan, dynel and Vinyon and manyothers.`

'Somcofthe synthetic fibers. with which pile fabrics 2,815,558 PatentedDec. 10, 1957 ICC are made are heat sensitive at differing temperatures,some of which temperatures are fairly low. Some of the fibers react witha relaxation of an oriented fiber when heat in various forms is appliedto the pile fibers of the fabric. Shrinkage can be relied upon to occurin predeterminable degree according to the manner in which the heat isapplied and according to the intensity of the heat.

It has been established, for instance, that in a pile fabric as it isdelivered from knitting machines, the fabric may have a pile height ofapproximately 3A and with a particular heat or deorientation treatmentthe pile height may be reduced to 1/z or less on the average. At thesame time the density of the pile of the fabric is increased veryeffectively and the fibers will have become somewhat stiffened and setin their positions. This gives a more highly resilient and mat resistingpile. The pile fabric of the invention here described has been developedthrough the use of pile fibers having differing deniers while all of thepile fibers used in the particular fabric are of the samecharacteristics in other respects, for instance, a pile fabric producedupon a knitting machine in the usual manner is, according to the instantinvention, made up with fibers for the pile comprising dynel closelyapproximately 11/2 in length so that the resulting pile is approximatelyi in depth. However, instead of using pile fibers which are all of thesame denier, a certain proportion, for instance 25.0 percent of thefibers are 12 denier, 50 percent are of 6 denier and the remainder of 3denier. After the fabric has been taken from the knitting machines thefabric is treated as described below.

The application of heat in the carrying out of this invention has alsobeen found to be very effectively accomplished where the heat is appliedin the presence of water or in a medium which is water solvent. Aparticular treatment subjected the pile fabric in an autoclave (closedsystem) wherein the water was brought to a temperature above the boilingpoint. Where dynel is to be treated, as in our present example, thetemperature is raised to 250 degrees for a period of 10 minutes. lt hasbeen found that a fairly wide range of time for the heat treatment iseffective.

Finishing of pile fabric in recent years has been accomplished throughthe use of a machine called an electrifier. This has a large revolubleroll transversely positioned across the path of the fabric which passesunder and against the roll while supported by a belt or shoe.

The roll may be heated and its surface is usually provided4 with groovesextending length-wise or helically along the roll whereby a certainamount of beating, combing and ironing of the fabric or its pile may beeffected. Combing is specially accomplished where the trailing margin ofthe groove is abrupt and is serrated. One example of an electrifier isshown in U. S. Patent 2,477,448 to Friedman July 26, 1949. In thenatural fur industry such a machine was known previously as a furconditioning machine; but in the finishing of knitted pile fabric,especially that made with a pile of synthetic fibers, the termelectrifier is practically universally used, even though electricity isonly used to motivate the roll rotation, or to heat the roll. Staticelectricity is purely incidental.

It will be noted that where, at first glance the unelectrifed, but heattreated pile may appear slightly damaged by the high heat used, theelectrification will remove all evidence of damage and the pile willappear stylishly shaggy. The shagginess is due to the irregularity inlength of the pile fibers, the differing deniers of the mixed fibers,and the irregularity with which the differing fibers react to the heattreatment.

The dynel pile treated as above prescribed results Yin a fur-likeproduct in which the under fur is dense and cer- .J tain of the pilefibers of larger denier stand up more straightly with a certain degreeof similarity to guard hairs as found in natural fur. In any event, theheavier denier fibers react differently to a specific treatment than dothe small lighter deniers and where the pile fibers are mixed, thesimilarity to natural fur is striking.

It will be understood that the treatment of'fibers above described isnot accompanied by shearing action or electrication, although either ofthese may be used where particular appearances and characteristics maybe desired.

A different result may be obtained involving an almost fundamentaldifference in appearance and feel of the pile fabric product where pilebers selected for the fabrication of the product differ not only indenier but also in length, and care is used with respect to the degreeof heat and time of subjection to the heat treatment. Here the longerfibers respond somewhat differently from the shorter fibers withresulting novel characteristic of appearance since the longer fibersextending beyond the shorter fibers are less protected by neighboringfibers and receive a more direct application of heat.

Fig. 2 shows knitted pile fabric comprising a base fabric 6, long, smalldenier pile fibers 7, long, larger denier fibers 7', short, small denierfibers 8 and short, larger denier fibers S. lt will be understood thatthe proportions of long, short, or small denier, large denier fibers maybe changed to accomplish any of the many variations in texture andappearance which may be desired in the resulting product.

After the fabric has been knitted, it is subjected to any v one of thevarious treatments described below, with the result shown in Fig. l,where it will be seen that the various lengths and various deniers ofpile fibers have been shrunk, kinked, or curled, each of the differingtypes of fibers having reacted in its own way to the treatment.

Fig. shows diagrammatically the cylinder 10 of a pile fabric knittingmachine with its needles 11 working through card clothing of `the rollsof a plurality of carding heads at 12, 13, 14 and 15. The resulting pilefabric in tubular form at 16 is slit. as at 17 so that the inner pilesurface 1S is exposed. The wide strip of fabric is then passed to theequivalent of a tenter frame, in this case comprising spaced beltsrunning over pulleys 19 and 20. Each belt is provided with a row of pinsshown at 21 and 22 upon which the margins of the fabric are impaled.

The belts are held apart by flanges of the pulleys (not shown) so thatthe fabric is laterally stretched between the pins and the fabric isheld in longitudinal tension as it progressively rides onto the pinsadjacent pulley 19.

While the fabric is carried in tension it passes over hot air jetsprojected by nozzles diagrammatically shown at 25, 26, 27. These are fedwith hot air as indicated in Fig. 5. Above the fabric a vented hoodtends to confine the heated air which is forced through the fabric so asto control the heat as to time of heat treatment, gauged according tothe speed of rotation of the pulleys and the number of feet per minuteof fabric travel under the hood, or over the air jets.

Where there is reason to protect the base fabric from the heat of thejets of hot air the jets may be applied to the pile surface rather thanto apply the jets through the base fabric from below ln such case thejets are directed at different angles to disturb the pile kinetically,thus assuring complete distribution of the heated air throughout thepile.

After the fabric has been subjected to the heat treatment it is.. piledat 3l in readiness for such subsequent treatment as may be desired, asfor instance, electrification which will straighten the outer ends ofsome of the longer fibers.

The surface of the untreated pile is shaggy and has an unfinishedappearance, as may be well imagined since an untreated pile made ofcarefully selected lengths of identical deniers and identical materialswill have a mussed and uucombed appearance if it has not been sheared orelectrified.

The shaggy pile fabric of the instant example is treated immediately asshown in Fig. 5 by stretching it on a tenter frame below which is abattery ofdevices to project heated air against and through the fabric.The streams of heated air are powerfully projectedso that the pile isagitated and opened up whereby to expose substantially all of the pilefibers to the effect of the heat.

If the base fabric be a knitted cotton yarn, the only effect on the backof the fabric will be thati which results from the shrinkage andconstriction of the pile fibers which are intertwined with theindividual base loops,'but if the base fabric is made of shrinkablesynthetic fibers or yarns, there will be a considerable stabilization ofthe base fabric.

Itis to the pile of the fabric, however, that this invention isprimarily directed, and it will be found that hot air temperaturesapproaching the softening point of the synthetic fibers in the pile maybe used up to certain time limits with beneficial results, as explainedbelow.

Where a pattern is desired in the pile of the fabric either by reason oflength or denier of pile fibers, the synthetic fibers supplied to theknitting machine may be controlled either by dispersal of the differingdeniers or differing lengths of the fibers fed to the carding heads, orby working the pile fibers into the knitted base fabric through separatecarding heads at controlled intervals.

Diagrammatically, Fig. 5 shows the four carding heads, one or more ofwhich maybe so adjustably mounted as at 35 so that the particular typeof fiber to be fed to the needles by that head may be withdrawn from theneedles at the will of the operator or in response to an automaticpattern Icontrol device (not shown). Thus as the tubular fabric isproduced by the knitting machine the pile may show intermittent ridgesor wales in which a particular denier or length of pile fiber appears,or is missing. Such an irregular or regular` pattern as is made by thepile of this new fabric is accentuated or modified by the treatment orintensity or duration of the heat treatment disclosed herein. An exampleof this is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The long pile fibers 9 and 9' are fedor not fed intermittently, or the fibers of a particulardenier are fedor not fed at intervals bythe particular carding head with l" which theymay be individually supplied.

In referring to the treatment by hot air, steam or an autoclave, above,vit `will be understood that these are merely two of the acceptable waysin which heat treatment may be applied to the .pile fabric havingdiffering deniers and differing lengths. The same general result hasbeen achieved in the development of this invention by subjecting thepile fabric to high temperatures, for instance, 250 to 300 in an inertwater soluble medium having a high boiling point. Such a medium is foundin higher alcohols of which glycerin and the various glycols are thebest known. When using these media, an open vessel may be used so thatthe process is carried out at atmospheric pressure with less practicaldifficulties from the production standpoint. When the fabric is passedthrough a glycol bath the excess glycol may be removed by a squeeze rollabove the bath, whereupon the fabric may be passed through a wash bathcontaining water which removes any remaining glycol and the fabric againpasses through a ysqueeze roll onto a tenter frame. Finally an ovendries the fabric.

The following are some examples of actual test runs wherein varioustypes of fibers are referred to. Some of them have a low softening pointas for instance Vinyon, Saran, shrinkable Daeron, shrinkable Orlon, ordynel. Fibers of higher temperature softening point would be Vicara,nylon, Orlon, ,or Daeron.

Example 1 An equal mixture of 6 and 12 denier dynel was used to make upthe pile of pile fabric having a knitted base comprising cotton yarn.The product was placed in an autoclave in the presence of water. Thetemperature was raised to 255 F. The time during which the fabrics weresubjected to that temperature was twenty minutes. After treatment thefabric was cooled in cold water. There was some shrinkage and tighteningof the stitch in the fabric itself, but it was less than while the pileheight of the fiber had been reduced by about 30%.

Example 2 A knitted base fabric of dynel was provided with a pilecomprising a mixture of 12 and 24 denier dynel. The fabric wasintroduced into a closed system autoclave with live steam supplied, andheld ve minutes at a temperature of 255 F. Again an approximate`shrinkage of pile to the extent of 100% as that term is used inreferring to shrinkage of synthetic fibers, and the finished sample hadgreat density and remarkable fur-like appearance.

Example 3 Pile fabric wherein the pile comprised dynel in 6 denier andblends of 6 and 12 denier nylon were immersed into tri-ethylene glycolat a temperature of 260 F. for a period of two minutes in Ian openvessel. After removal and washing the pile of these fabrics had shrunkso as to substantially remove the orientation length in the case ofdynel, while the nylon fibers did not shrink. Again a fur-like fabricwas obtained with guard hair effects.

It thus appears that where synthetic bers of differing characteristicsas for instance, nylon and dynel are treated as above described, thecharacteristics of the resulting product are quite different from theproduct obtained from previously known processes.

The texture of the fur-like product under the instant invention is verydifferent from that heretofore obtained, and the visual appearance issubject to wide variations according to the percent of relativelyshrinkable or relatively light deniers comprising the pile.

One of the very beneficial results of heat treatment of theseheterogeneous synthetic pile bers is the improved density of the underfur, that next to the base fabric. Not only do the fibers interengagebecause of the kinking and shrinkage, but the heavier denier fibers helpto support the smaller denier fibers. This has been found to be sopronounced that new fabric made according to the instant invention hasfound new markets in the fields where synthetic pile fabrics had beenrejected heretofore. For instance the heat treated heterogeneous piledoes not break when the base fabric is folded. It does not expose thebase fabric under these conditions and is therefore equal to Ior betterthan natural fur in most cases. Use for footwear, collar and cuffpurposes are examples of new adaptability.

It is also practicable to obtain a shaggy irregular or patterned pilesurface in textile pile fabric manufacture. As shown in Fig. 6 thespaced base fabrics 40 and 41 with the pile 42 extending between lthemmay be sheared along a median line 43 to provide the separate yard goodsareas of rug or other textile products. If the pile as thus woven ismade up of differing synthetic fibers and differing deniers, the heattreatment or deorientation will produce the shaggy irregular orpatterned product, even though the shearing action along the median lineis at that point in the process, smooth and plane.

We claim:

1. The method of making a pile fabric which includes the manufacture ofa continuous base fabric, the intertwining of pile bers with said basefabric in continuous process concurrent with said manufacture of thebase fabric, providing pile fibers of differing deorientationcharacteristics for said continuous process, and finally deorient-ingsaid pile fibers at predetermined temperatures.

2. The method of making a pile fabric which includes the continuousmanufacture of base fabric by continuous fabrication process to form thefabric in a web and concurrently feeding oriented fibers of dffieringdeorientation characteristics into the web at controlled intervals andthe subsequent de-orientation of said pile fibers.

3. The method of claim 2 including the feeding of said pile fibers intothe web in separate spaced feeding operations through separate headsconcurrently, said feeding heads being supplied with fibers of differingdeorientation characteristics.

4. The method of claim 3 including the withdrawal of certain of saidfeed operations through certain of said heads at intervals.

5. A pile fabric including a base fabric and synthetic originallyoriented pile fibers of differing deniers, said pile fibers beingdeoriented, in situ, in the fabric.

6. A pile fabric including a base fabric and synthetic originallyoriented pile fibers of differing lengths, said pile fibers beingdeoriented, in situ, in the fabric.

7. A pile fabric including base fabric and pile fibers, said base andpile comprising originally oriented synthetic fibers, the individualpile fibers having differing deorientation characteristics, the base andpile being deoriented, in situ.

8. The fabric of claim 7 wherein the pile fibers are of differingdeniers.

9. The fabric of claim 7 wherein the pile fibers a-re of differinglengths.

10. The fabric of claim 7 wherein the pile fibers are of differingdeniers and of differing lengths.

11. As a new article of manufacture an improved irregularly surfacedpile fabric comprising a base fabric, pile fibers intertwined with thebase fabric and extending therefrom to provide a pile, said pile fibersbeing composed of synthetic differently deorientable materialsdeoriented, in situ, in the fabric.

12. As a new article of manufacture an improved irregularly surfacedpile fabric comprising a base fabric, pile bers intertwined with thebase fabric and extending therefrom to provide a pile, said pile beingcomposed of synthetic deorientable bers of differing deniers deoriented,in situ, in the fabric.

13. As a new article of manufacture an improved pattern surfaced pilefabric comprising a base fabric, pile fibers intertwined with the basefabric and extending therefrom to provide a pile, said pile fibers beingcomposed of a plurality of types of synthetic differently deorientablematerials each of said different types being arranged in a pattern anddeoriented, in situ, in the fabric.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,760,464 Achtmeyer May 27, 1930 2,174,991 Masland Oct. 3, 19392,238,098 Bradshaw Apr. 15, 1941 2,457,104 Moore Dec. 21, 1948 2,485,230Alexander et al. Oct. 18, 1949 2,630,619 Schmidt et al. Mar. 10, 19532,699,593 Matthews Jan. 18, 1955 2,705,880 Kinzinger et al. Apr. 12,1955 2,737,702 Schmidt et al. Mar. 13, 1956

